2002 Subaru Forester Cruise Control Problems

Your car has experienced sudden engine surging and loss of braking control when shifting from Park into Drive, causing it to accelerate unexpectedly. This has happened multiple times—most recently resulting in a collision with another vehicle when the engine raced and brakes were ineffective; you regained control only by shifting back to Park. The Subaru dealer was unable to identify any mechanical problems during inspection despite the repeated incidents.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE MAKING A U-TURN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR AND HIS FOOT GOT STUCK CAUSING HIM TO CRASH INTO A BUILDING. THE CONTACT NOR HIS PASSENGER WERE INJURED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE INVESTIGATION WAS PENDING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND NEITHER WAS THE DEALER CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 94,000. UPDATED 3/8/11 *CN UPDATED 12/20/11 *CN

I WAS ENTERING A PARKING SPACE AT A LOCAL GROCERY STORE WHEN THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD INTO ANOTHER PARKED CAR. I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND HAD PLACED THE VEHICLE IN PARK WHEN IT SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY LURCHED FORWARD. I DAMAGED THE PARKED CAR AND MY OWN. THIS HAS HAPPENED PREVIOUSLY WHEN BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE GOING FROM THE PARK POSITION. AM CONTACTING SUBARU TO SEE IF THIS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE RECALL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE AT SPEEDS OF LESS THAN 3 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO THE SIDE OF A HOUSE AND PROCEEDED TO CRASH INTO A WOODEN FENCE. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP AND THE CONTACT WAS FORCED TO PUT THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL GEAR TO STOP IT FROM ACCELERATING. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED, HOWEVER THEY STATED THAT THEY HAD NOT HEARD OF THAT TYPE OF FAILURE IN HER MODEL VEHICLE. REPAIRS WERE MADE AT THE EXPENSE OF HER INSURANCE COMPANY. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST. THERE WERE NO RECALLS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000 AND THE CURRENT WAS 25,000. UPDATED 3/16/10 *CN UPDATED 07/07/10.*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH THE DRIVER SIDE REMOVABLE FLOOR MAT TRAPPED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. CONSEQUENTLY THERE WAS AN UNINTENDED INCREASE OF VEHICLE ACCELERATION. SHE WAS ABLE TO REGAIN VEHICLE OPERATION. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED FOR THE MALFUNCTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 163,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

WE PURCHASED THIS LOW-MILEAGE VEHICLE (~11K MILES) 2ND HAND FROM LOCAL SUBARU DEALER MID-FEB 2006, & NOTICED ONLY ROUGH SHIFTING WHEN ENGINE IS COLD- NO OTHER PROBLEMS. TODAY, WHILE TURNING LEFT AT LOW SPEED, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, & SEEMED TO DO SO FOR A SHORT TIME AFTER BRAKING HARDER. I ASSUMED I HAD INADVERTENTLY STEPPED ON THE GAS & BRAKE AT THE SAME TIME, & RESOLVED TO BE MORE CAREFUL. AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF & RESTARTING, I TURNED RIGHT AT LOW SPEED. AS I ROUNDED THE CORNER (MAYBE AS THE WHEEL TURNED BACK TO THE LEFT??), THE VEHICLE AGAIN ACCELERATED, CONTINUING TO REV AS I STOOD ON THE BRAKE. THE CAR STOPPED AFTER STRIKING THE BUMPER OF THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME. LOW-SPEED IMPACT, NO AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT, NO OBSERVABLE DAMAGE TO EITHER VEHICLE. BEFORE I MOVED MY FEET, I LOOKED DOWN: MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE GAS PEDAL. AS THE GAS PEDAL IS SOMEWHAT RECESSED, IT WOULD BE QUITE DIFFICULT TO HIT IT WHILE BRAKING. CRUISE CONTROL HAD BEEN ON EARLIER IN THE DAY, BUT IS SUPPOSED TO SHUT OFF WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED OFF, & SO SHOULD HAVE BEEN OFF DURING BOTH OF THESE INCIDENTS. AFTERWARD, I DID NOT LOOK AT THE CRUISE CONTROL TO VERIFY THAT IT WAS OFF. THE DEALER WILL LOOK AT THIS IN 2 DAYS. *JB

DRIVER OF FORESTER WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT ABOUT 10 FEET AWAY FROM CAR IN FRONT. DRIVER TOOK FOOT AWAY FROM BRAKE PEDAL FOR A MOMENT AND CAR SURGED FORWARD ON ITS OWN. DRIVER SLAMMED BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR, BUT FORESTER CONTINUED TO SURGE FORWARD. DRIVER SWERVED TO TRY TO AVOID ACCIDENT BUT STILL CLIPPED BUMPER OF CAR IN FRONT AND CAUSED DAMAGE. FORESTER CONTINUED TO SURGE AND BUCK FORWARD FOR ANOTHER MOMENT BEFORE FINALLY STOPPING (DRIVER'S FOOT HAD REMAINED FIRMLY ON BRAKE THE ENTIRE TIME). I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER I HAD BOUGHT IT FROM JUST TWO WEEKS AGO, BUT THEY CLAIMED THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING IN A SUBARU AND REFUSED TO EVEN INVESTIGATE IF THERE WAS A MECHANICAL ERROR THAT WOULD BE UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE OF LEGAL FEARS. THEY IMPLIED THE ACCIDENT WAS MY FAULT AND I WAS LOOKING TO BLAME THEM. DESPITE MINOR DAMAGE, THE CAR WAS STILL DRIVABLE, YET I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER BECAUSE I WAS SCARED OF DRIVING IT EVER AGAIN. I WAS LUCKY I ONLY HIT ANOTHER CAR'S BUMPER-- IT COULD'VE BEEN A BICYCLIST OR PEDESTRIAN WHO WAS STRUCK! MY INSURANCE COMPANY IS INVESTIGATING THE CLAIM AT THIS POINT, BUT I REFUSE TO DRIVE THAT CAR UNLESS SOMEONE FINDS THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE OUT OF CONTROL SURGING AND FIXES IT. I AM APPALLED SUBARU IS DENYING THIS PROBLEM EVEN EXISTS. *NM

THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND IDLING BEFORE THE CONSUMER GOT IN THE VEHICLE AND SHIFTS IT INTO REVERSE WHILE THE FOOT WERE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE COMMENCES TO ACCELERATE AND LURCH BACKWARD AND RAN INTO THE ENTRANCE OF THE DRUG STORE. CONSUMER SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO DRIVE AND THE VEHICLE TOOK OFF AGAIN AND HIT A METAL POLE. NO INJURIES WAS REPORTED AND BOTH THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGER WERE RESTRAINED IN THEIR SEAT BELTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOW TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND PICK UP THE VEHICLE FROM THE REPAIR SHOP. *NM

WHEN THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP, IT ACCELERATED FORWARD AND THE ONLY WAY TO SLOW IT DOWN WAS TO PUT THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL. *JB SCC

THE ENGINE INTERMITTENTLY STALLS DURING ACCELERATION OFTEN IN FAST MOVING CROSS TRAFFIC CAUSING OUR HEARTS TO STOP AS WE FEAR OF GETTING HIT BROADSIDE. THE ENGINE INTERMITTENTLY ACCELERATES AT HIGH SPEEDS CAUSING THE DRIVER TO BRAKE. I HAD ONE INCIDENT. *AK

WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PLACED IN EITHER DRIVE OR REVERSE IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATES. THE BRAKES HAVE TO BE PRESSED TO REGAIN SOME CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *MJ

MYSELF, AS WELL AS MANY OTHERS, HAVE A PROBLEM WITH OUR SUBARU VEHICLE HESITATING UPON PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR, FOR AS MUCH AS 2-3 SECONDS, FOLLOWED BY SUDDEN ACCELERATION. THIS HAPPENS IN DRIVE AS WELL AS REVERSE. SUBARU ACKNOWLEDGES THE PROBLEM (REALLY DEPENDS ON WHO YOU TALK TO AT ANY DEALERSHIP) BUT SAYS THAT IT IS NORMAL AND THERE IS NO FIX. WHEN AND IF A REPLY IS SENT, I WILL FORWARD A COPY OF THE LETTERS SENT TO SUBARU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.*AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

VEHICLE WAS STANDING WITH MOTOR RUNNING IN DRIVE AND I HAD THE FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHEN THE CAR STARTED SLOWLY MOVING FORWARD. WHEN I PUSHED THE BRAKE FURTHER, THE CAR INCURRED A SUDDEN ACCELERATION FORWARD AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. I JUST COULD DO NOTHING TO STOP IT. SUBARU OF AMERICA DID NOT ADMIT THERE IS A MALFUNCTION AND ASKED TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO CONFIRM SUCH FAILURE. HOWEVER I AM RELUCTANT TO DO SO, SINCE THE DEALER WOULD NOT REPRESENT MY INTERESTS AS WELL. I DO NOT DRIVE THE CAR ANYMORE AS IT IS UNSAFE TO DO SO AND I DO NOT KNOW HOW SHOULD I PROCEED. ANY ADVICE? PLEASE TELL ME HOW WERE THE OTHER COMPLAINS OF THESE TYPE RESOLVED. I HAVE SEEN SIMILAR COMPLAINS AGAINST FORESTER 2001 AND 2000. THANK YOU.*AK